Field of the Invention
This invention is directed to the field of personalizing sporting equipment. More particularly the invention relates to systems for quickly attaching interchangeable decorative and functional enhancements to sports equipment items.
Description of the Related Art
Outdoor sports enthusiast often desire to personalize their sports equipment. For instance, board sport participants purchase snowboards, surfboards, skateboards, and the like to take part in popular outdoor recreational activities. Such boards can be ordered in a variety of sizes and colors and are frequently customized. Typically, decals and other relatively flat, unobtrusive enhancements that express the user's individual taste are applied in a permanent fashion. However, when the enhancements become damaged, tiresome, outdated, or non-functional, removing them from the board is difficult and time consuming, often destroying the enhancement and sometimes damaging the board.
Enthusiasts engaging in sporting activities are also frequently interested in sharing their experiences with others for notoriety or evaluation purposes, often employing personal electronic communication devices to help facilitate communication. However, handling and operating such devices while performing a sporting activity can be difficult, particularly if the enthusiast's hands are gloved or being used for other purposes. Fastening a device to an equipment item may provide the enthusiast with easier use but subsequently removing the device may harm the item or device, or may make the appearance of the item unseemly after the device has been removed.
In light of these and other existing shortcomings of the prior art, there is a need for a system to quickly attach decorative and functional exhibits to sports equipment items such that the exhibits may be easily removed and exchanged without revealing damage to the item.